Blast from the Past (Front)

Here are three retired school buses that represent the way it used to be in a time when there were multiple chassis and body builders each seeking to sell to customers.

 

From left:

1969 Chevrolet w/ Superior body

1970 International w/ Ward body

1973-77 Ford w/ Wayne body

 

From my recollection the companies offering chassis to the body companies to build on and the years they quit were:

 

Chevrolet: (1991 everyone, 2003 Blue Bird)

GMC (1991 everyone, 2003 Blue Bird)

International (2006? everyone, still IC)

Freightliner (2003? everyone, still Thomas)

Ford (1998)

Dodge (1977)

Studebaker (1964)

Mack (1962?)

White (1961)

 

The body companies that built Type-C bodies and sold them in the Midwest that I am aware of are:

 

Blue Bird (current)

Thomas (current)

Ward/AmTran/IC (current)

Carpenter (2001)

Wayne (1995)

Superior (1981, or 1985 depending on what you consider a Superior)

Hackney (1966, still builds beverage truck bodies)

Oneida (1960, small number produced in Indianapolis by Marmon Herrington in early 1960's under Oneida name)

Union City (1957, still builds step vans)

 

As is evidenced by the number of builders and the fact that most of the body builders would build on any chassis, quite a wide variety of school buses were available back in the day!

 

Photo by Gavin Berwald

Done